January 9, 2013

Release Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

After uniting the
shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest
challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise
and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his
problems.

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on
turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his
father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle
of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and
defend a demon he hates.

Trying to balance his friends, his
enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about
the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece.
Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he
finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially
regarding Rayna.

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally
realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell
the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the
past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are
the hardest to fight.

Release is the third book in the young adult fantasy Protector series. It continues where book #2 (Shift) left off, with Chase and the crew trying to find Riley and stop him, while tons of other crazy stuff keeps happening. I know that this sounds like a really flimsy summary and it is. But if I were to try to explain everything that happens in the book, let alone the series so far, this post would take 3 days to read. So, I'm improvising and making the summary really generic, which I hate doing.

I am so amazed and disappointed in myself for not reading this series sooner. I had read so many awesome reviews of the first two books in the series, but I never got around to reading them. So, for the last couple of days my nose has been pressed against my Nook and I have been devouring the first three books to catch up. Crazyness - pure and simple. I will tell you now and again later in the review - If you have not read this series - DO IT NOW. You will not be disappointed. I promise.

Honestly, I don't know where to start with this book or what to say about it. There's so much happening with the characters - Chase is struggling to find and stop his father, trying to figure out what's going on with Rayna, attempting to control himself, and learning some really hard life lessons. He goes through some big character changes and growth in this book. He matures a lot and learns even more, which only makes me love his character and his role in the series more. The other characters deal with heavy issues too - again, I just don't have the time to delve into all the juicy details. There are several story lines going on at once, but they don't clash with each other or confuse the reader. They flow effortlessly into one another at a good pace - not too fast to make your mind spin and not too slow that you feel like nothing will ever happen. It's a great medium pace - perfect in my opinion. The writing is superb. From the first sentence of the first book, I was hooked - immediately drawn into the magical world that the author has richly created for us. The characters, the history behind everything, the plot itself - everything is detailed with great precision and gives the series a wonderful depth and layers that make it so much richer than most novels out there. The end of the book was a big deal - it was so, so bad! WHY?! Like many others who have read and loved the series, I was crushed. I cried. I was really angry and upset. I get why it had to be that way, but I SO didn't want it to happen. No spoilers though - READ IT YOURSELF - NOW! Overall, this is an amazing continuation of a fantastically epic fantasy series. It breaks the genre barriers and definitely will appeal to fans of all types of fiction. I will undoubtedly continue to see what happens next. Seriously - read this series. I promise you'll love it!

M.R. Merrick is a Canadian
writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector
Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through
his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and
proud breakfast enthusiast, he's usually found at the computer, between a
pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.

Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)

3x Signed
paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)

3x
Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)

5x Bookmarks

1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)

1x Magnet

Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)

1x Signed
paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster